Disce pati
by Precious .N. Pristine
Summary: He had to learn. Learn to ignore the loneliness. Learn to cut down the bitterness. Learn to suffer. /Dark Splendid x Giggles, Flippy x Flaky cameos, swearing, yandere, gore, plus disturbing content/
1. Devotion

**Disce pati**

**A dark Splendid x Giggles story for Pedro-IS-Madi12 and Nina Liew  
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**Sorry for the wait, so hear you go~! :3**

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><p>Splendid was different from others. He was a man with a gift - a gift offered by the Gods that many died to have. He was born with abnormal strength, remarkable speed and great agility. A tenacious hero, many said, when they saw the male bluenette soar in the sky with a rescued child in his arms. Splendid was nervous and embarrassed when praised even by the softest whisper, but he was glad to lend a hand to the citizens of 'Happy Tree Valley', as long as they appreciated his help.<p>

Not only was Splendid a super human, but he was also courageous, calm, sweet towards others. If it were not for him, Happy Tree Valley would have perished long ago. Whenever a cry for help was issued, help would certainly arrive in a matter of seconds. No matter what the problem was, even if it was a trivial matter, Splendid still ventured to the aid of those in need.

In return, the blue hero had a place to live and life to cherish in that town. He was often approached by children who admired his generosity and parents who wished to adopt him (Splendid was more or less disturbed, considering he was already a full grown man). He was even more surprised to find females clinging onto him, poking his arms flirtatiously and complimenting him endlessly.

Well, not that Splendid _disliked _the company, but he just couldn't handle many attractive girls everyday. In fact, he had his eyes only on one of the girls - a girl who never failed to make him smile.

"Good morning to you, Splendid~" Giggles was the most beautiful, if not the cutest, among the girls in town.

It caused the poor man's cheeks to darken when he saw her smiling at her, her short pink bob bouncing as she skipped towards him with a cheerful disposition. Feel free to call Splendid disgusting for taking note of how she looked and how she acted but he couldn't help but grin like a complete idiot when she greeted him on a normal Monday morning.

Splendid knew Giggles wasn't into him, because she acted the same with almost any other guy in town- excluding Disco Bear, of course, because he wasn't worth flirting with. However, the blue-haired man wished she could look at him as though he was the only man on the planet meant for her.

He was deeply in love with her, ever since he saved her from a vicious dog, ever since she bugged him irritatingly every other day, ever since she gave him a cheeky little peck on the cheek.

In truth, Splendid would never ever leave Giggle's side. He told himself he wouldn't live without her.

He really, truly did love her.

He always did.

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><p><strong>ACTUALLY the original story was long. It stretched up to 4000 words and I wasn't getting to the juicy part. So I'm cutting this short story into little chapters~<strong> 


	2. Twist

**Happy Tree Friends is not mine~**

**Damn you Splendid. Why you change so fast?**

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><p>"Giggles... She <em>what<em>?" Splendid had difficulty trying to comprehend the situation. Flippy raised an eyebrow; he was confused to see his friend's mood change dramatically. The blue hero was stupefied enough not to say a word and he stared at the soldier as though Flippy had three heads instead of one.

He wasn't sure when it happened. What, did it take a few months for him to realize? Three, four, five? A year?

Splendid refused to accept Flippy's words. They walked together silently on the pavement, neither of the two venturing to utter even a single syllable to each other. Flippy didn't know what to say; he only told Splendid about Giggles finding her 'one and true' love. He was happy to hear the good news from the pinkette, and she told him to share the news with Splendid.

Flippy's green eyes twitched. He need not think more when Splendid was informed.

Why didn't Splendid know of this in the first place? He had been attracted to her like magnetic steel yet he was unaware of the attention she paid to another guy?

He did recall Giggles avoiding him more frequently but surely that was a mere coincidence? Splendid was flummoxed; he tried to convince himself that Giggles wasn't_ in love_. She couldn't be. She didn't even give him a hint that she was in love.

Or perhaps he had misunderstood her. Perhaps he thought she was hinting that she was in love with _him_.

That could explain his ignorance.

Finally, Splendid did talk, in a question, "S-So... Who did she _fall in love_ with?"

Fall in love. The hero was horrified when he realized his throat clench, his heart stop and stomach lurch when he said those three words. Splendid tried to conceal his distaste by smiling wryly at his buddy. Flippy bit his lip and slurred uncertainly, "It was that blond named Cuddles... I think."

Flippy watched as Splendid raised his hand to cup his mouth, his eyes down in deep thought. The soldier added, "You know, the guy you rescued before he was hit by a train a few months ago?"

It didn't take long for it to dawn on Splendid. Cuddles was a playful sporty blond kid. He was slightly taller than Giggles, and never hesitated to take on a game of baseball. Splendid found nothing astonishing or amazing from Cuddles but he was shocked to meet a younger competition.

"A- Ahem." Flippy coughed, trying to gain Splendid's attention. He wasn't taking pleasure in the conversation.

What did Cuddles have that Splendid didn't? He was a normal cheeky guy, but he was able to steal Giggles' heart? To Splendid, Cuddles looked like a person who would rather stay single and hang out with his guy buddies in college.

Splendid's initial impressions weren't so ideal and realistic as anybody would have thought.

"Cuddles, you say? Well, I guess he is able to hook up with girls, and Giggles may not be a surprise..." Splendid feigned his bubbly laughter, and Flippy somehow calmed down from this. The hero knew that the blond was a sweet fella but Cuddles was...

Cuddles was _boring_.

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><p>Splendid did meet Giggles again at Petunia's restaurant, while he sat patiently at his table for his order. The pinkette rushed up to him and slammed her hands on the table, her eyes shimmering with delight and excitement. Splendid took off her spectacles and looked up from his novel, surprised to see her face close to his. He could only force a small smile, his cheeks pink and a small bead of sweat rolling down his temple, "H-Hi."<p>

"Splendid! I'm so glad you're here! Did Flippy tell you about the good news?" Giggles pulled away and sat on the seat opposite Splendid, raising a waving hand until a waitress came over. "One iced tea, please."

"G-Giggles, what are you doing here?" Splendid asked, still dumbfounded. Of course, he was happy to be with her but he wasn't exactly felicitous to know why she was at the restaurant with him.

The pinkette set her shopping bags down beside her and clasped her hands together to her chest, "I wanted to ask if you already knew about it!"

He did know about it. He didn't want to think about it anymore. However, he resisted the urge to take her hands and say, 'Why must you take Cuddles? He's- he's not your type of guy!' Splendid only smiled weakly, lying, "I'm not really sure because Flippy only told me some of it. Is there more to the good news?"

Secretly, Splendid prayed there wasn't any more.

Giggles, well, giggled, shyly coiling a strand of hair around her finger. Splendid hid his clenched fist behind his book. His knuckles cracked loudly, but he never heard her.

"Glad you ask! Well, I have a little crush on Cuddles nowadays and I need some girl-guy advice~"

Oh _lord_.

"Why do you come to me, then? I thought girls usually discuss these kind of things together..." Why not ask Petunia? Splendid cleared his throat, and fought to remain composed.

Giggles put a finger on her lip in deep thought before smiling brightly at Splendid, "Well, cause you're the only person who can understand me in these situations! Besides... many girls have spoken to you, so I bet you know a lot about them trying to ask you out..."

Splendid wasn't sure what he felt: it was either he was enlightened by the fact brought up by Giggles that he was popular material or he was torn apart like little ribbons when he agreed to help her. The latter, obviously.

Still, he didn't turn her down. He couldn't.

"Well, Giggles, for starters... I'm not really good at this. But if you're asking, then...

"Just be yourself. He wouldn't like you if you act like a totally different person, would he?"

She was the apple of his eye. Splendid didn't want the apple to rot in front of his eyes, but even if he did tell her not to change, she still would.

She would change for her love. He knew she would.

And worst of all, she did.


	3. Acrimony

**Splendid dramatically changed in this. Actually, I was just expressing my feelings about the G x C pairing, in an obsessive manner. Feel free to question why Flippy didn't kill anyone in this chapter.**

**I don't know why either. xD**

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><p>Why was he here?<p>

"Look, I brought you here because I would look like a sore thumb if you didn't come," Flippy grumbled, the bright yellowish orbs flickering menacingly at Splendid. The hero knew when to shut up whenever he saw Flippy 'flip', but his face remain nonplussed. Flippy wouldn't be much of a problem. In fact, he probably wasn't interested in killing anyone at all. Or at least, now.

Splendid tugged at his necktie and surveyed the party room with a grimace. Being in crowds just wasn't his thing. The only things he remembered was receiving an invitation on an early morning, helping a few residents, assisting the town's mayor, collapsing on his bed, and being dragged by a pissed-off soldier. It only dawned on him later that he was invited to Lumpy's birthday party.

At first, the hero thought that the celebration would be a disaster. However, he underestimated the tall sky bluenette - Lumpy was a professional party thrower. Flippy had to agree.

"If I don't see Flaky in five minutes, I'm gonna go on a fucking rampage," The soldier unbuttoned his blazer and loosened his black tie, muttering in annoyance. Splendid curled his lips into a straight line, looking uneasily at Flippy who had a dark aura around him. There was that look of concern in his yellow eyes, but perhaps Splendid was just imagining things. Splendid then earned a nudge from his friend, "I know this may sound kinda pushy but do you mind using your whimsical-fantastic-quick-awesome-shitty-I-don't-know-super-duper-super-vision to try to find Flaky for me?"

"What...?" Splendid tried to catch what Flippy was saying, but the only word he heard was 'shitty'. Flippy furrowed his brows.

He threw his arms up in exaggeration and frustration, "Look, just help me find Flaky, okay?"

"Oh, Flaky-?"

"YES, Flaky. I'm already fucking pissed because I brought no knife or gun here and the least I can do is flirt with the girl I torment the most."

"Torment the most-?"

"JUST DO IT," Flippy grabbed Splendid's shoulders, and Splendid knew the soldier wanted to rip his arms off. He shook Flippy's hands off and stood on his toes to get a quick view of the party crowd. His eagle-like eyes searched the room sharply, trying to find the slightest hint of red hair marked with fluffy dandruff. His ears perked when he saw Flaky sipping a glass of fruit punch, alone at the balcony, distant from the others.

The blue hero patted Flippy's shoulder, "You're in luck. She's at the balcony alone there, so the two of you can have a sweet time alone."

Flippy glanced at the direction Splendid pointed to and rubbed his hands in glee, "Alright! Thanks, douche bag. She and I will have a pleasant talk together."

"Don't do anything stupid, okay?" Splendid glared at Flippy, "This is Lumpy's party, not yours. So if you ever feel like killing someone, throw yourself out of the window."

"I won't kill anyone. Besides, Flaky's _all I need_," Flippy stared at Flaky with a smirk, his hand rubbing his chin, his eyebrows raised in seduction. Splendid shrugged; he had no interest in Flippy's perverted nature anyway. He sighed, parting ways with the soldiers. He moved through the crowd and helped himself to some fruit punch.

He then leaned back on a wall and gazed at the people enjoying themselves. His eyes then caught something near the kitchen. The kitchen was empty, unlike the living room, but Splendid was somewhat drawn to what he saw. He couldn't take his eyes off of it.

There was Giggles, no doubt it was. He could see the creamy white bow on her pink hair and the cute white dress she put on. She was twittering with Petunia and Lammy, and Splendid smiled dreamily at her. He wanted to tell himself how pretty and beautiful she looked, but something else intercepted his train of thought.

"Cuddles...?" Splendid felt the world shatter behind him when he saw Giggles' hand taken by another person's. Giggles was still talking with the two girls but that blond was there, holding her hand, laughing with the three.

Cuddles. Of course.

The love of Giggles' life. They were both together. Hand in hand, like a loving couple.

Couples made Splendid smile, but this was different.

It made him want to puke.

Why was Giggles with _Cuddles_? Cuddles, really? Why was he given a name like that? Splendid didn't mind about Toothy, Lumpy or heck - Disco Bear, but Cuddles was such an 'unmanly name'.

Cuddles, similar to cuddling. It didn't even fit him. He didn't look like someone one could cuddle with. In fact, he looked like an uncivilized chap. His white shirt clashed badly with the large accessories he put on his arms and legs. His hair was covered by a big baseball cap, too big for his small little head.

Even his shoes was- Splendid detested ankle socks. He couldn't understand why ankle socks looked good.

They never did.

His hand's grip on his glass tightened, and eventually he smashed the cup in his hand. Litters of glass dug into his palm and fingers. Dewy crimson blood gushed out from the endless cuts on his hand, but Splendid didn't care. Blood dripped down onto his sleeve and the floor, but he didn't care. People around him started to panic and help him to a first aid kit, but he still didn't care.

The pain of the cut couldn't compare to the pain that ached in his heart. Many of the party members rushed to help the hero, and some of the girls screamed in worry and shock.

But Giggles never heard him.

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><p>"Hello...?" Splendid said groggily into the phone, having to wake up at two in the morning. He was brought home with the help of Flippy and Flaky. He looked at his bandaged hand; the white color of it was defiled by red spots. The pain echoed again, but he ignored it. Pain was mutual.<p>

"Oh, Splendid, I'm glad you're okay!" A familiar voice rang at the other end. "I didn't know your hand was bleeding that time, and I was kinda worried when you were sent home."

Giggles...? Splendid immediately brightened up. "T-Thanks, Giggles. I'm alright, so no big deal. I was just going to get some sleep."

He heard some fumbling of the phone and some clitter-clatter, and waited for her reply. It sounded as though she was taking off her stilettos. She reached home. Alone. "I'm so sorry if I disturbed you, Splendid! I was just so worried. Flippy called me and said that your wound looked pretty bad. His voice scared me because he was still 'flipped-out' that time! It's a wonder why he didn't kill everyone back at the party, right? I mean your hand's bleeding and blood provokes him so...

"You know what, I just wanted to call to see if you're alright. If you need anything, I can come by if you want. I've been trained by Petunia how to treat patients," Giggles sounded alarmed. Splendid almost laughed, "Thanks for all the concern, Giggles, but I think young ladies should be getting their sleep. I'll be fine by tomorrow."

"If that's the case... okay then. I also wanted to tell you something too," Her voice turned warm, and Splendid's hand turned stiff. He enjoyed the soft tone of her voice; it made him so relaxed.

"I'm all ears," Splendid fell onto his bed, closing his eyes.

He could hear her giggle. "I, um... I wanted to say thank you."

Thank you? "What for? I didn't do anything," Splendid chuckled. She sounded so cute he almost couldn't breathe.

"Oh, don't be so silly! I wanted to thank you for the advice you've given me about girls and guys."

... Advice?

Splendid didn't speak a word.

He knew. She didn't need to tell him.

But she did anyway.

"Thanks to you, I've mustered up some courage to tell Cuddles my feelings. I'm still so scared though, because when he was with me at the party, he was only just teasing me and kidding around about being my boyfriend!"

Damn him, Cuddles. However, Splendid felt slightly relieved on hearing that.

Slightly.

"So I'm gonna tell him next week on Monday. I bet he doesn't know that I love him, and I hope he will feel the same way as I do!"

Splendid felt like choking. It was as though hands were around his neck, strangling him. Those words pierced through him, cutting through his self-esteem, ripping it apart like small little ribbons. He still talked, "Like I said... Just be yourself. I think he would accept your feelings, if you believe in yourself."

"Thank you, Splendid. You've always been the only one who helped me a lot. Is there any way I can thank you?"

"Just..." Splendid wanted to tell her that he loved her, but something stopped him. He bit his lip and forced a joke, "Leave me alone~ I want my beauty sleep undisturbed!"

She giggled again. "Okay, okay, I'll leave you be. A hero's gotta have his rest too!"

He pretended to snore in the phone.

"Alright, alright already! Jeez, you're such a lazy bum~ Goodbye, Splendid, sweet dreams~"

When Splendid heard the repetitive beeps after the ended call, something escaped from his throat.

A sob.

_Like hell am I having sweet dreams again._


	4. Lunacy

Petunia and Lammy seemed happy and encouraged Giggles to ask Cuddles out. Giggles no longer need to talk to Splendid for advice. She no longer called out to him for help. She could handle her problems herself. Or, at least with her girlfriends. He walked out on the streets and stopped outside the mall, where he heard her squealing voice.

"So which one do you think I should wear?" She laughed, and he could see her holding two dresses through the window.

The female bluenette scratched her head and stuck out a tongue playfully, "Whichever will make him go 'woah!' when he sees you~"

"Cuddles is still young, I must remind you," Lammy chuckled. She patted Giggles' shoulder lightly, "Just pick one that is comfortable and sweet."

"Oh, Giggles, I'm so proud of you. You can now find a man suited for yourself!" Petunia exclaimed, making Giggles blush. The pinkette punched her friend's arm, trying to hide her abashed face.

"Thanks, Petunia. I'm so lucky I found a guy like Cuddles. It's like, my dream of becoming his one and only is coming true!"

Splendid's eyes widened. He started walking away from the mall, marching away, his pace increasing to a speedy brisk walk.

At the same time, his eyes narrowed.

_I wanted to be yours._

_But it looks like your dream's coming true._

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><p>"S'up, Toothy?"<p>

The purple-haired freckled-face boy looked up to see the hero walking up towards him with two cans of juice. He beamed, trying so hard to contain his excitement, "H-Hey, Splendid!"

Splendid threw the can at Toothy whose throbbing hands locked around the drink. He grinned, "What are you doing here alone at the park?"

"I'm just making a card. It's for Cuddles." He showed him a large piece of paper cut into a butterfly-shaped card.

"Really? What, a 'best friend' card or something?"

"Technically, yes and no. He wanted a nicely cut card so that he could color it to give it to Giggles.

"I hear he's going to ask her out. With this card. Ha ha, pretty lame, right? But he's that kind of guy who's sweet and all."

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><p>"What are you doing, Flaky?"<p>

"Splendid!" The red-haired girl turned to face the hero, surprise written all over her round face. A smile crept up onto her lips and she waved a hand at him. Splendid moved across the room to reach Flaky, his eyes glancing at Flippy who was admiring the beautiful jewellery at the window displays.

He nudged Flaky playfully, "Oh, is Flippy going to buy you jewellery now?"

"What? N-No, sshh-"

"Shut it, smart-ass." Flippy growled, not making an effort to turn around. It was obvious he was 'flipped-out'.

The hero cringed but Flaky only raised her shoulders. She then tugged at Splendid's sleeve, "Um, can you help me or something, Splendid? I have a little problem here."

"A problem? Have no fear! Just say it out to Mr. Splendid, and he'll do his best to help." Splendid flashed his best smile at her. A drop of sweat trickled down his temple as he knew Flippy was eying him closely. Very, very closely.

"Thank you. Giggles gave me some money the other day and told me to buy a necklace for her."

"Yeah. To wear for that Cuddles guy. She wanted something cute and shiny and whatever makes shit pretty."

"Do you want to help me, Splendid? I don't know which to pick: the star-shaped or bow-shaped one?"

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><p>Splendid enjoyed helping people, but this...<p>

He didn't feel like helping anyone anymore. The clock kept ticking.

Days shrunk to hours.

Hours shrunk to minutes.

Minutes shrunk to seconds.

And all the while, Splendid shrunk, feeling terribly small and weak, not feeling like the hero he was shaped to be.

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><p>That evening Splendid found himself under his duvet, curled up into a tight ball. What with his knees pressed so tightly to his torso, it looked like he was trying to fold herself up, like a collapsible telescope. For some reason, the peculiar pose made him feel better, if only just a little.<p>

Whenever he used to be sad- which wasn't very often, being that he was renowned for her sunny nature and smiles- Giggles would give her a friendly hug and tell him to cheer up. Then, she'd make him something nice to eat, like a nice plate of spaghetti, and everything would be better. At least, in the hero's eyes it would.

That would never happen anymore.

Those days were gone.

In the past.

Splendid shut his eyes.

She no longer cared for him. She dumped all her loving feelings on Cuddles instead of him. She would cherish the moments with her one and true love, and leave Splendid to rot in the darkness. She would just leave him, abandon him, and take care of Cuddles and herself. She no longer needed Splendid's help. S-She was already independent- why would Splendid care?

He wouldn't ruin their relationship. He wouldn't do such a cruel thing.

But she was with Cuddles. That sick, blond little child. A baby. His voice was so high-pitched Splendid doubted he reached puberty.

Giggles wouldn't like being with Cuddles. She shouldn't.

Yet, she was in love with Cuddles. If Splendid dared try to interrupt the two's moments together, she would hate him. She would hate him forever. Splendid didn't want that, did he?

"I hate this..." Splendid groaned, "I hate it."

The male bluenette opened his eyes slowly. He could only hate.

He could do nothing but hate.

And Splendid hated it.

He also hated himself.

That was fine, though. After some time, his breath evened and he felt his heart beat normally. He hadn't got any sleep since the other day. Constantly thinking about her made him sick. Maybe he was becoming Flippy. Flippy always had these kind of problems almost everyday. He knew how to handle them, in a painful way. Splendid sat up in his bed, throwing the duvet off his head.

His bedroom looked neat and tidy. He rubbed his sour eyes and hopped off his bed, half awake. He made his way to the bathroom, his hands reaching out for the door. His eyes appeared bloodshot and his hair was messy. Splendid fumbled with the knob and after the third attempt, managed to open the door. His face pressed against the mirror on the wall, his hands firmly locked on the sink.

Splendid scanned his reflection. He splashed some lukewarm water onto his dry face, and the nice feel of wetness made him relaxed. His skin felt terribly dry like chipped paint, but he admired the rough texture of his cheeks for a brief moment before realizing his ugliness.

He cringed. Under fluorescent light, he didn't look pretty at all.

In fact, he looked the opposite.

Almost immediately, the hero vigorously rubbed soap on his face before rinsing with more water. He then looked at himself in the mirror again. His face looked much softer now, and smoother. Splendid took a look at his azure eyes, pressing a finger on the skin under his eye and pulling it down.

A light, icy blue color flickered in his left eye.

At that moment, Splendid backed away on instinct. He swore he saw something on his reflection's face.

Was that...

a _smile?_

"The hell?" Splendid rushed back to the mirror, holding it with his two hands, staring at his reflection sternly. It only followed him: its eyebrows furrowed in concentration and eyes blinked in worry and shock.

He could remember what he saw: his two eyes flickered with an icy blue color, his lips curling into a sadistic creepy smile and his eyebrows contorted and distorted into a somewhat panicky expression. It was as though he was looking at something out of a horror movie. Splendid gulped, not wanting the same horror to appear in his face again.

Or _on _his face again.

"N-No, this can't be..." Splendid backed away, clutching his face, leaning on the nearest wall his back made contact with. He sank to the floor, his knee close to his chest and the other spread out. The moonlight that seeped through the windows caused the hero's neck to crane to face the bright moon outside his bedroom window.

The moon was beautiful, but it only made Splendid feel worse.

What was he turning into?

_What... am I?_

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><p><em><em>**Man I love listening to K-POP while writing this. Sorry, Splendid. The song's called 'UGLY' by 2NE1 and I was listening to it when I wrote the '...he didn't look pretty at all' part XDD**

**Plus, Splendid's evolving.**

**INTO WHAT?**_  
><em>


	5. Refrain

**NOTE: Splendid's best friends are Flippy and Flaky :D Since those three are the most popular characters in the Japanese HTF Fanbase... xD**

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><p>"Thank you so much, Splendid," Flaky smiled, offering the hero a few sandwiches. Splendid nodded and took a peanut butter jelly, sinking his teeth into the soft creamy taste of the combination of flavors. He gazed up at the azure blue sky as the red-haired girl continued, "If you didn't clear today's skies, we wouldn't have our picnic out in the open!"<p>

"Indeed. Thanks a lot," Flippy chuckled, falling back on the parched grass behind him. He stretched his arms out like a cat, his emerald eyes lazy and relaxed. Splendid followed the soldier's actions, extending his long limbs, suddenly choking on the sandwich in his mouth in the process. Flippy rolled to his side and sighed, "What are you doing? You can't eat while lying down, goof."

Splendid sat back up again and coughed, swallowing back the chunk of sandwich and smiling giddily. He was glad to join the couple in their picnic. They insisted, so he probably had no other choice. Splendid enjoyed being with his two best friends; they were the only two (other than his brother, Splendont) people who understood him fully. They were the only two he could rely on when he needed help or time to talk. Splendid sometimes felt that they three were like family. He glanced at Flaky who was busy taking small cakes out of the basket. She laid them on tiny china plates, placing the cutlery neatly beside each plate. Flippy jolted up from the grass, nose sniffling, "Is that blackberry?"

The hero had already forgotten how long it was since the three had their last picnic. He still remembered that haunting image of himself the previous day, however, but decided not to think about it again. Yet, it was difficult trying to throw that picture away. He helped himself to some cake, popping a blackberry into his mouth.

The sweet sour taste of blackberry soothed him. Splendid loved blackberries, but as the taste swirled about in his mouth, his mind drifted to yet another memory of Giggles.

_"He he, oh Splendid, we didn't buy berries for eating - we picked them for the pies!" She giggled, holding a large bowl of blackberries in her arms as she moved to her kitchen. Her pink dress swayed along with her hips and hair. The bluenette stayed at the dining table, throwing a few small berries into his mouth._

_"But they're just so delicious! Do you know how hard it is to buy blackberries nowadays?" He protested playfully, sucking the juice from his fingers like a little child. He couldn't stop smiling when he watched her laugh. It was a laugh he could never forget._

Flippy noticed his friend's trembling hand, "Splen? What's wrong?"

"A-Ah, what?" Splendid looked up from his plate in alarm. He silently cursed; he shouldn't be spacing out. It wasn't like him at all.

"You okay? You don't have to be so tense," Flippy punched Splendid's shoulder with a grin. Splendid laughed nervously. He couldn't tell Flippy and Flaky about his problem. He didn't want to trouble them by lamenting about his lost love. Still, he just couldn't hold all those bottled up feelings inside. It was terribly difficult trying to hide his discomfort with a pleasant smile. Who would want to smile sweetly whilst battling with inner horrid feelings? It was mad.

Of course it was. Splendid knew better.

He nodded, "It's nothing. Sometimes after a whole morning of saving people, my muscles tend to become jelly all of a sudden." He added a laugh and shook uncontrollably in emphasis, in which was followed by the other two's laughter. They wouldn't understand. They shouldn't, anyway. It would all make it worse for Splendid.

"Well, back in the war, my major taught me how to treat aching limbs with a special technique," Flippy winked, grabbing Splendid's right arm without hesitation. Splendid's face immediately turned white. He stammered, "What are you going to do?"

Whatever Flippy had learned during his years serving in the Army was considered impressive. However, everyone who knew Flippy, knew what the soldier was made of. Sometimes the lessons he learned were gruesome, fatal, lethal and perhaps nicknamed 'abuse'. Flaky blinked continuously, raising her hand to cup her mouth, as she watched the soldier twist the hero's arm viciously, causing the bluenette to scream in pain. Splendid could only suffer those few seconds of his bones cracking. He could feel the muscles in his arm squeeze and twist; he swore he could _hear_ them ripping. Although he was a super human, heroes were still able to feel pain.

And this was just painful. Painful; the only word Splendid wanted to use to describe the situation. If he used a word with a more intense meaning, the pain would certainly become more intense. Flippy only smiled, pushing Splendid's lower arm to its original position, before pushing his whole arm forcefully to his side. Splendid could feel his arm socket sting painfully. His eyes rolled to back of his head and he fell, his right hand twitching.

"Splendid! F-Flippy, are you sure you didn't hurt him too much?"

"Hmm... This usually works on my buddies back then. But they were all experienced in the Army. Perhaps it only works on marines!"

"His arm looks really bad..."

"Maybe I went too far," Flippy frowned guiltily as both stared at Splendid's still body. He poked Splendid's right arm with a finger, hearing a moan of pain coming out from the hero's quivering lips. He shrugged, "At least he's still alive."

Flaky's shadow loomed over Splendid, and she asked in deep concern, "Splendid, are you alright...?"

Splendid raised his left thumb in a positive answer, though his face appeared purple like a dead person's face. He tried to sit up, the pain in his right arm flickering as he supported himself against a tree. Splendid looked at Flippy and just beamed like an idiot, "Man, Flippy! That thing you did was swell!"

"Swell! You sure? I mean... I didn't know it would turn out like _this_. Sorry, Splendid," Flippy scratched his head, his eyebrows contorting in worry as he stared at Splendid's limp arm. The hero raised his injured arm slowly, stating, "Well, at least I can move my arm! That's what matters- _Ouch_."

Flaky glared at Flippy who sputtered in an anxious chuckle, "See! He's alright! Case closed. Now then, where's my cake?"

"Flippy, that's my cake! Don't eat-"

"Oops. ... But I didn't eat mine. You can have mine!"

"L-Liar! There's a bite mark on your cake!"

"Oh c'mon~ Don't be like Petunia."

"Am not!" Splendid stared at the two arguing, and he couldn't help but smile. When he wasn't admiring Giggles 24/7, he could just sit back and watch Flippy and Flaky interact with each other cutely. He enjoyed seeing his two best friends together as a couple. They did fit for each other, despite their differences that weighed heavily on them. He wasn't sure why he loved them to be together so much, but it probably started after Flippy thanked Splendid. Splendid was dumbfounded back then, but after he heard that he somehow 'pushed' Flippy closer to Flaky. He was proud to hear that, and soon found himself stalking the two every other day.

_They're such a perfect couple. _Splendid smiled at them.

It was plain obvious that Flippy was into Flaky. They were meant to be together, tied together by the hand of fate and destiny.

_They're always in love. Even when they already do love each other._

Splendid blinked. He suddenly felt a tinge of emotion in him, something that sparked suddenly out of nowhere. As he eyed the two's ongoing argument, he felt something stir inside. It made him feel pain, but emotional pain. It caused his stomach to lurch, and this feeling closely resembled the feeling when Splendid found Cuddles at Lumpy's birthday party. It was a sick feeling.

But it wasn't hatred. No, Splendid couldn't feel hate towards his two best friends.

In fact, it was sadness. Splendid was sad.

They got to be together. They got to have each other to love. Splendid had no one.

Jealousy? Splendid laughed in his mind. He had to agree he was a sentimental moron, but he had valid reasons to be jealous. He was often jealous of Splendont's better super powers. He was often jealous of Sniffles' high IQ level. But this type of jealousy Splendid now experiences was entirely different. He had to bear the jealousy in mind. It was something he should think back on.

As Flippy waved the forkful of cake in front of Flaky's red face, urging her to open her mouth, Splendid lips curled into a straight line.

Morbid curiosity.

What were the elements of love? How could Flaky and Flippy successfully enjoy a successful romantic relationship? How did they do it?

Flippy?

Flippy acted like a friendly kind gentleman, slightly shy and cheeky towards Flaky. Stubborn, domineering and always perverted when flipped-out, but he soon was able to steal Flaky's heart.

Flaky?

Flaky acted like an adorable caring girl, always bashful yet helpful and confident when it came to scolding Flippy after a trivial misdeed. Her guard was down when he stole her heart, but she accepted him for who he was. She too did act submissive when it came to se-

Splendid slapped his face quickly, gaining the attention of Flippy and Flaky. He shouldn't think about mindless stupid things! Just because he found the two to be such a great couple, when he matched them together with their abnormal inhuman flaws, he shouldn't think more if he found out that-

"Splen?"

"W-What?" Splendid blinked again, finding the two staring at him with open mouths. Flippy furrowed one brow in suspicion, trying to stifle his laughter. Flaky only stared, her eyes never blinking. Flaky was trying to smack the fork out of Flippy's hands but both soon saw Splendid slap himself. They saw the hero's hand sweep across his face, his head snapping back in the process.

A crack was even heard. "Are you okay...?" Flippy asked slowly.

"Do you mind if I ask you two something important?" Splendid forced a weak smile. He gulped. Should he really share this?

"S-Sure, if you're sure you're okay..." Flaky started. Flippy cleared his throat.

Splendid just wanted someone to listen.

"How would you react if a person you knew had a crush on someone although that someone has her mind on someone else, and that person still can't erase his crush from his mind and he starts getting freak outs, hallucinations and nightmares everyday and begins to hate himself and become jealous of every single couple he sees on the street?

"And he can't do anything because he's scared his crush would hate him forever?"

* * *

><p>Splendid spilled out those words all at once, shocked of what he had said.<p>

What had he done?

Now they would surely be suspicious. Of course they would. There was no denying that. He just revealed his most embarrassing secret to the whole wide world. What would he get as punishment? Splendid wouldn't want to know. He was just going to let fate decide the humiliating part by itself. He looked at Flaky, then at Flippy. Their reactions were both the same: mouths agape, bodies unmoving, eyes wide, never unseeing. The cake even dropped from Flippy's fork, causing it to fall on his pants and staining it with an icy cold feeling of cream.

"Ah, shit!" Flippy swore, swiping the cream off his pants.

"Flippy! Do you need a tissue?" Flaky threw packets of them at Flippy, who fumbled with the packets. Splendid only waited.

Well. Something did intercept the silence.

Perhaps they didn't want to hear that. Oh, what was Splendid to think?

They never wanted to hear that. It was just so obvious!

"Y-You know what, sorry for what I said," Splendid stammered, standing up suddenly. His right arm still ached, but he said, "If you look at the time, I think I have to go uh... to help Splendont on something. Yeah, we had an errand to run for Pop!"

Flippy extended his hand out to Splendid, to stop him, but Splendid continued, "Just forget what I said, okay? Think of it as an nonexistent ridiculous riddle."

That was a horrible mistake. He shouldn't have said that.

Before the two could say anything, the hero already took off into the sky.

"Fucking hell," Splendid choked back a small sob. He wished he hadn't done that. He left Flaky and Flippy speechless. They would think he was a lunatic.

He felt the wind rush past him, but Splendid continued flying. He wished to go to a place far, far away. He wanted to escape to somewhere where no one could care about him or whatever he said. It was just too embarrassing for him that Splendid wouldn't want to be accepted into the society again.

But as the hero traveled farther and farther, his eyes found something down below, through the clouds.

In a dark alley, he could see a bunny jacket and blond hair.

"Cuddles?"


End file.
